Alive and... alive

Ahh I am finally here!! The last couple of days have been crazy. I'll start from the beginning...  I have been stressing the last couple of days about the weight of my luggage, I am taking so many supplies and then with my own stuff I thought for sure I was going to be over the limit. So I packed and unpacked my bags about 6 times trying to consolidate as much as possible. So friday morning when I checked my bag it weighed in at a hefty 49.5 (the limit is 50) phew! we were off to a good start. Then going through security I get stopped and they search my bag. The offending item? Peanut Butter. Who knew that was a liquid? I was pretty upset about it cause I was planning on that being a staple in my diet out here, but the security guy wasn't having it. Anyway, so I fly to Chicago without major incident minus the fact that the woman next to me talked the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes of the flight. So I am waiting at the gate for forever, watching everyone board and waiting for them to call my group. Turns out they called it and I didn't hear it, so they page me overhead to check in even though I have been sitting there the whole time (as Lisa Ladel, jeff you would be so proud). The flight was actually pretty decent considering it was 13 hours, and I made friends with the cute little Indian lady next to me Leala. We land in Delhi and that's where the real fun begins... when I had checked my bags in salt lake the lady told me she would check them all the way through to Chennai, but when I got to Delhi they told me I had to pick them up there. I guess I neglected that piece of information not really sure why. So I get off the plane and walk down this deserted hallway for seriously 15 minutes. Then I finally come to 2 signs that say Domestic and International travel. This confused me because I am coming internationally but flying within India.. I chose to go with domestic so I stand in a line for a while and finally get to the counter where the guy doesn't really speak english. I tell him I am trying to get to Chennai, so he tells me I have to go outside, then upstairs, then to immigration, then to check-in. great, no problem. So I wander around til I get to the exit (which is labeled "way out"). It seemed a little fishy to be wandering outside so I vetoed that and went back and asked this guy where immigration was. He said it was back where I just was. Super. So I approach the nice inviting man in uniform with his machine gun where to go, and he directs me to go upstairs. So I find the elevator and the line of 50 people waiting for it. Keep in mind that my flight leaves at 8:00 and it is 6:45. So I wait in line for a while then get up to the appropriate floor and find my airline. So the girl tells me that I was supposed to retrieve my checked bag, but i explained that it was going through to Chennai. I guess that's not how it works here. So she recruits this kid to help me find my bag cause I clearly wasn't understanding. So he grabs my carry on and takes off to another counter. He talks to this girl there for a minute then starts checking other people in! So I panicking cause my flight boards in 20 minutes. Then he comes back and walks to another counter and does the same thing! So finally I just tell him to tell me where it is cause I'm going to be late for my flight. He comes and grabs my bag and starts down the hallway where he stops and talks to all his friends and soon enough we have about 12 people in this quest for my bag. He and another guy come downstairs with me, we find my bag, they get me through customs really quick and back upstairs where he checks my bags and walks me to security. Here, one kid asks if I want to come smoke with him.  I gently remind him that we have been running around the airport for 30 minutes because my flight is taking off as we speak, so no, I would not like to come smoke. I know when I was in Africa, the guy lifted my bag out of the car then waited around for an hour for me to give him a tip so I figured this was a similar situation. And I wanted to give him something he and this other kid had saved my life, so I have him 100 Rs. for his help. I have no idea how much I gave him it could have been 40 cents or 40 dollars I don't know the conversion rate yet, but I didn't care I was just happy to be getting out of there. Well, after that transaction all his friends seemed really keen to help and one guy expedited my security screen (where they found a pair of scissors, oops) and then he walked me all the way to my gate, loaded my carry on in the overhead bin and that was it. I guess if you want something done that's the way to do it. Glad I am finding that out early on! So the flight to Chennai was another 2.5 hours and it was painful, I was so ready to be on the ground. We land and I found my bag without incident. Then it was time for the part I had been dreading the most, hoping my driver was here to pick me up. I wander outside where it is so hot and humid to a crowd of about 100 Indians and then I see the blessed sign. Courtyard Marriott: Mr. Lisa Ladle. Whatever, i'll take it I was stoked! So Moses, loads my stuff in the car and we head to the hotel, which was about 15 minutes away. It is a miracle anyone drives on these roads and lives to see another day. Lanes mean nothing, red lights mean nothing. it was crazy! my time is almost up so i have to cut it short, but the hotel is really nice! can't wait to meet up with the group though